James M. Greenwood was the leading educator in Kansas City for 40 years (1874-1914). In his tenure as superintendent of schools, he became recognized locally, nationally, and internationally. He was born in Illinois on November 15, 1837, and died at his desk on August 1, 1914.
Greenwood's papers include correspondence primarily sent to Greenwood (1891-1917); reports and speeches (1906-1913); an unpublished manuscript on the history of Missouri; personal journals (1910, 1914); notebook kept by Mrs. Greenwood (1892-1896); and miscellaneous, primarily personal items. These papers cover the middle to late part of Mr. Greenwood's tenure as Superintendent of the Kansas City School District. A few published items are included but the bulk of the collection is handwritten or typewritten. Mr. Greenwood's interest in mathematics is evident as a subject of his speeches and outlines.